Kaine to push early voting during stops next week in Charlotte, two other NC cities

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine will return to North Carolina next week to encourage early voting, with campaign stops in Charlotte and two other cities.

Early voting in North Carolina starts Thursday, and Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign hopes to drum up a big turnout by supporters leading into Election Day on Nov. 8.

Clinton’s running mate, U.S. Sen. Kaine of Virginia, will address what are being called Early Voting rallies in Asheville on Wednesday and in Charlotte and Durham on Thursday. He also is expected to urge N.C. voters to check their registration status at iwillvote.com.

Details about exactly where and what time those rallies will be held were not available Saturday. But those interested in attending can RSVP here for Charlotte; here for Asheville; and here for Durham.

This will be Kaine’s second visit to the state in just over a week. He spoke to several hundred supporters last Wednesday at Davidson College.

North Carolina has emerged as one of the few remaining battleground states in the 2016 presidential race. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held Friday rallies in Charlotte and Greensboro and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, campaigned last Monday in Charlotte, Gastonia and Fletcher. On Oct. 2, Clinton was also in Charlotte, where she spoke at Little Rock AME Zion Church and met with young local African-American leaders.

The race is still close in North Carolina, with Clinton up by 3 percentage points in the latest RealClear Politics average for recent polls in the state.